Desperately Bored
by Alys Blanchefleur
Summary: In which Alfred is bored of studying and will go to any lengths to relieve said boredom. Supposed to be fluff, but borderline crack. I still don't even know what the hell happened.


_Here's the original prompt, from imagineyourOTP: _

"_Imagine your OTP in the library, and Person A is completely bored, so they keep on tapping Person B. They keep on doing it and Person B finally gives in an asks them "What do you want?", to which Person A responds with a kiss."_

_How it turned into this, I do not know. I am so sorry._

* * *

_In 1953, changes in political leadership on both sides shifted the dynamic of the Cold War. Dwight D. Eisenhower was inaugurated president that January. During the last 18 months of the Truman administration, the American defense budget had quadrupled, and Eisenhower moved to reduce military spending by a third while continuing to…_

Alfred yawned, scratching a pencil butt into his scalp, already bored of his textbook. He exhaled, slumping further down into his uncomfortable plastic library seat. Tapping his pencil against one of his note pages, he asked his companion, "Are you done studying yet, Artie?"

Across the table, Arthur furrowed his brows and sighed. He didn't even bother to avert his gaze from his own notes. "We haven't even been studying for ten minutes, Alfred. You can't possibly be bored already."

"But the Cold War is so _dull_," Alfred said, fascinated with how his pencil eraser made the whole thing bounce back up as he tapped it, "There wasn't even any fighting or anything. Why couldn't we study something cool, like gladiators or Vikings."

"Unfortunately, Alfred, I cannot pick the events that we study in history class." Arthur flipped a page in his notebook and continued his note-taking. "Nor do I pick what our tests are about. The most we can do is study the material." His eyes looked up for a moment, pen pausing, before he resumed writing. "Could you please stop that pencil-tapping? I can't concentrate with you doing that."

"Blargh." With that, Alfred sank completely down into his seat, so much so that only his cowlick was visible from Arthur's perspective.

Arthur looked up again and rolled his eyes. "Sit up, Alfred. You're not a child."

Alfred made a grumbling sound, before he collapsed completely onto the carpeted floor. He curled up into the fetal position, and ceased moving altogether.

Once Arthur actually bothered to look down at him, he flushed. "Alfred! For God's sake, we are in a public library! Get off the damned floor!"

"Ahem." Arthur turned to see a librarian giving him the death glare. Arthur smiled and nodded an apology, before glaring at the boy under the table.

Arthur lowered his voice. "Get up."

"No." Alfred's voice was muffled from his arms, but it still carried a note of contempt.

"You're acting like a five-year-old. Now get up."

"Not happening." Alfred looked up a little, blue eyes shining with good-natured humour. "I have given up on life. I am now a tumbleweed." To accentuate his point, he started performing somersaults across the floor.

Arthur twitched, exhaled, and then proceeded to return to his studying, certain that a librarian would eventually come around and chastise him. Meanwhile, Alfred rolled all around their table, occasionally whispering things like, "I'm a tumbleweed," or "Tumble tumble tumble," or even "Nanananananana… tumbleweed!"

Finally, Arthur couldn't stand it anymore. He stood up, physically stopping Alfred by planting his foot in front of him. "Alfred, stop this nonsense."

"No," he said, "I am a tumbleweed."

"Are you on crack?" Arthur asked.

"No," Alfred replied, "Tumbleweeds can't do crack. But I'm not a tumbleweed anymore." With that, he untangled himself and proceeded to wrap his arms and legs around Arthur's own leg. "I'm an octopus."

Despite himself, Arthur actually let out a giggle, before shoving it inside and putting on his best disapproval face. "Octopuses don't cling to people."

"This one does." Alfred held tighter. "But I'm actually a prince-octopus thingy, and can only be transformed back to normal if my curse is broken."

"Oh, really?" This time, Arthur allowed himself to smile. "Like the frog prince?"

"Exactly like that." Alfred batted his eyelashes up at Arthur, making kissy faces. "I was thinking more of a reverse Little Mermaid type thing, though."

"Fine then, my fishy friend." Arthur awkwardly bent down so that he could meet Alfred's face. "I bestow upon thee, a kiss to break the curse." Arthur grabbed Alfred's face, pulling him in for a quick kiss.

Alfred let go of Arthur's legs, pulling back from the kiss to roll and stand up, looking at himself as if his body were new. "Why, thank you, sir knight," Alfred said in a silly, deep voice, "For saving me from this retched curse. However can I ever repay you?"

Arthur, officially grinning, indicated the table upon which all of their notes were spread. "By reviewing for your history test, oh good prince."

Alfred's intense mix of a pout and a frown caused Arthur to finally fall into a bout of laughter.


End file.
